Lip Synch 'Never Gonna Give You Up' Rick Astley

What have you learnt from making this music video?

I learnt a lot from making this video, as we were responsible for the camerawork and everything else where as on the workshop we were not. Although Mary and I didn’t lip-synch much in the video we did have a go. I learnt that it important to actually sing the lyrics out loud as it makes it more believable and otherwise it just looks like lip-synching. Making the lip-synch video emphasized that performance is really important in making a good video. I also learnt that you should take loads of takes of the same thing as well as experiment with the camera. The more footage the better as you can end up using footage you weren’t even planning to use because music videos don’t have to follow continuity or make sense. Finally another important factor in making a music video is camera movement. This is really important like I said in my evaluation for the ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ workshop. We were conscious of this when making this video and tried to use as much camera movement in our takes as we could.

How will it help you in your coursework?

The most important thing I have learnt is the importance of performance and so I think this will help me when considering actors to use in my video as they must be believable. They should actually want to perform in the video and should be enthusiastic about it as this will make a big difference. I think this will also help when I am thinking about ideas for the video itself because the performance involved needs to be doable by actors available to us. Making this video will also help in terms of camera movement, which is something I will think about during planning and will focus on during the production stage of my coursework. I will think about filming more takes and being more experimental with the camera.

What would you do differently?

If I were to make this video again, I would definitely experiment with the camera more. I would experiment with length as well as angles and would try to film some more high and low angle shots. I would perhaps most importantly experiment with camera movement more because even though I think we did this quite well, you can never do it enough! I think I would also be more creative about the performance and perhaps use some more props or improve the costume. However this was just a test video and bearing that in mind I think we did quite well!

Teenage Dirtbag Music Video Workshop Evaluation

What have you learnt from Friday’s workshop? (Making a music video or general media production)

From Friday’s workshop, I learnt a lot about the hard work involved in making a music video production as well as pre-production. I learnt that planning is a crucial part of the process in order to ensure everything has been thought about. One of the most important things in terms of organisation and planning is having a schedule or some sort of framework. Even if on the day it is followed completely it is still important to have a schedule to stray away from. From the workshop, I also learnt that props are very important in creating the right sort of mise-en-scene and in creating strong and identifiable characters. It is also important to have choices when it comes to props. As we were told to bring in any props we had for the shoot and then we chose the best of the choices we had on the day.

I learnt a lot about the actual production of music videos as well as general media production as well. The production process was long and tiring and I learnt the set up of music videos is very technical as it probably is for other media productions and so there are lots of people involved. Therefore, discipline is important and the process has to be taken seriously by everyone involved so that time is not wasted and everything gets done. Flexibility with time and the schedule is particularly important as things may run over schedule and plans may change according to for instance the weather. On the workshop, we had to consider changing plans because it was due to rain when we were to shoot outside. It is particularly important for those acting in the production to put all embarrassment aside in order to perform well. I learnt that the performance in a music video needs to be believable and is very important in making it effective. On the technical side of production, I learnt how important lighting is during production as a lot of lights were used. On one particular take on the staircase the lighting wasn’t right and so tracing paper had to be used to diffuse light coming through from a window as it was too bright. In terms of camerawork, I learnt that movement is crucial in enhancing the audience’s viewing experience and it is also important to have freedom with the camera. A lot of camera movement was used for the performance part of the video by the band in the gym. We had to do lots of takes of the same thing and this was important so that when it came to editing the video we would have loads of choices to choose from.

During the workshop, I learnt a lot about directing music videos from Jake Whynne who directed ours. He was very hands on and was completely involved throughout the production process. I learnt some of the language used between the director and the camera. For instance, Jake would use the term ‘background action’ to tell the background actors to begin acting and then he would tell the actors to begin acting.

What was the best bit?

I really enjoyed the whole day but my favourite part was jumping around to the chorus of ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ as this was a lot of fun! I also enjoyed actually helping with the set up of the camera work behind the scenes and learning about it from Jake and the others involved. I helped set up the tracks that the camera and the cameraman were wheeled around on when filming the performance part of the video. Apart from the chorus, I was also in the background of other takes as an extra and enjoyed this even though it did get tiring having to do a lot of takes.

How do you think the whole workshop (pre- and post- production included) will impact your coursework?

I think the whole workshop will have a great impact on my coursework as I learnt so much about all parts of the process. I learnt that pre-production and planning is a very important stage and therefore I will treat it as such when I make my music video and will spend more time on pre-production. I also learnt that organisation is crucial in making sure you get all the shots you want and so I will use a schedule. I learnt that movement is important in camerawork for music videos and so I will focus on that and will try to be ambitious and out there. I also learnt about the importance of lighting and how tricky it will be and so will prepare for that in advance when making my music video. One of the most important things I learnt was how important performance is in making a music video effective. Therefore, I will think carefully about this when picking actors for my video. The style and mise-en-scene (including any props) are also important and need to be thought about carefully before making a music video.

Lenka - The Show

I decided to analyse this video a bit becuse it is quite quirky and different with things randomly disappearing and weird things happening but is still a simple music video.

Throughout the video, the camera stays very still and so the focus remains mainly on the artist, Lenka, giving the video that quirky edge. There is a slow zoom at the very beginning but the focus remains on Lenka who is central in the frame. The settings change throughout the video as the artist is transported to various places.

The song is all about letting 'it all go and just enjoying the show'. Therefore Lenka is transported to different places and things are done for her by a seemingly invisible person. For instance, when in the restaurant her food is being cut by a knife and fork and right at the end she is being tucked into bed. She seems to have little control of what is happening to her but she continues to sing and smile and is therefore 'letting it all go'. So the message of the song is reflected in the video throughout.